Diary of a Domestic Extremist

Continuing his examination of the decline of radical activism, Mikhail Goldman explores the theory that we are all very anxious. Precarious employment, continuous surveillance and the threat of sanctions under modern capitalism paralyse us and make us more alone than ever. We need to recognise and fight these obstacles to solidarity.

Five years ago, radical activism in the UK appeared to be entering a golden age. Today, it seems to have run out of momentum and ideas. In his latest column, Mikhail Goldman examines the sources of the malaise, and potential ways out of it.

A week after the Milbank student protest, a vast witch-hunt is already under way by the police to track down the 'culprits'. Using popular displays of outcry over the cuts as a pretext, the government is stepping up its efforts to spy on activists and the public. In his new column, Mikhail Goldman says resistance is essential.

A few days ago, the UK activist movement was rocked by the revelation that one of its leading activists has been working, for over a decade, as an undercover police officer. As Mikhail Goldman highlights in his latest column, the case of Mark Stone/Kennedy has exposed some serious weak spots in activism. Lessons must be learnt, fast.

The Con-Dem cuts, the latest attempt to dismantle the welfare state, will see massive, catastrophic changes to the social make up of the country. In his latest column, Mikhail Goldman says the fightback already under way can stop the unfolding disaster, but only through unity, courage and an awareness of past mistakes.

What does it really mean to be an "activist"? Are activists deluding themselves about being agents of radical change? In an impassioned polemic, Mikhail Goldman argues that today's activist movements, far from being the creative, truly revolutionary wave they purport to be, risk becoming, themselves, agents of bigotry, sexism, and elitism.

Morrissey's outburst in Saturday's Guardian, calling the Chinese a "subspecies", provoked acres of outraged newsprint. And yet, as Mikhail Goldman argues in this week's diary, whilst many of us in countries like the UK may not consciously agree with the idea, we certainly end up benefiting from the very treatment of the Chinese and other Asians, Africans, Latin Americans and East Europeans as "subspecies". Our hypocritical outrage, Goldman points out, is no less outrageous.

In this week's diary, Mikhail Goldman tackles the omnipresent red, blue and white masts of the Tesco empire. Far from helping communities and seeking socially-positive efficiencies, Goldman shows how Tesco and its rivals have been aggressive in their pursuit of profit and relentless in using their considerable power to silence opposition. The Tesco success story is a mirage built on a billion little failures, but a growing resistance is finally gaining ground.

The past week has seen the 5th Camp for Climate Action take place outside the Royal Bank of Scotland's headquarters in Edinburgh. In a passionately polemical column, Mikhail Goldman argues that the choice of target could have brought together a wide spectrum of greens and anti-capitalists, but that the timing was completely wrong. He concludes that although the climate camp movement has to be applauded for its considerable achievements, its prominence has come at a heavy price.

The last 18 months has seen the meteroic rise of the EDL. In two weeks, they are planning to organise a protest in Bradford, their 'Big One'. In his new piece, Mikhail Goldman provides a powerful analysis of the socio-political reasons behind the popularity of the EDL and provides a few pointers as to how the response to it should be; puncturing, in the process, a number of myths and illusions that are harboured by both EDL supporters and their opponents.